Line upon Line

Don’t Blame God for Life’s Challenges and Losses, LDS Therapist Says

Psychotherapist Dennis Ashton and his wife, grief counselor Joyce Ashton, taught about holding on to faith through disappointment, tragedy, and loss at BYU Education Week on August 22.

“We may have to drink out of some bitter cups as we live on this earth, and hopefully we will not become bitter from the drink, but better,” Joyce Ashton said.

Dennis Ashton, former assistant commissioner of LDS Family Services, explained some falsehoods in regard to tribulation. These included: God is the only source of my suffering, I am the only source of my suffering, God removes all suffering from the righteous, and offering advice is the first step in helping others who are suffering.

He said one shouldn’t blame God for challenges and losses in life. Quoting Elder Neal A. Maxwell, who was a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, Dennis Ashton said although God can foresee trials, one should recognize that He does not necessarily cause them.